A Kind of Debt
by propinatio
Summary: One-shot AU. What would happen if Morgana and Merlin met before he was in Camelot and they were 15? Merlin get injured playing with Will in the forest. Morgana shows herself when Will leaves and helps Merlin recover. How will Merlin repay Morgana's kindness?


Merlin balanced precariously on a branch as he reached out to the next. It was just beyond his fingertips. He could hear Will gaining on him.

They were racing amongst the trees, last one to the river would have to clean both of their clothes of two weeks, and both boys hated washing.

Merlin knew that if he was able to get to the next branch, he could swing down to another, and have a clear shot at winning. Merlin bent his knees, staying balanced, before launching himself up toward the branch. His pale hands clasped tightly on the bark. He barked a laugh before he looked down. He swallowed hard as he swung helplessly under the branch. It was a long way down.

He began to swing, gaining momentum before releasing and falling down to the large branch. He wrapped his arms around the branch. The air whooshed from his chest as he hit the wood. He tried pulling himself up, but his arms weren't strong enough. He began to panic.

As Merlin panicked, his palms become sweaty and lost their grip in the bark. He scrambled desperately to hold on, but felt himself falling. He watched as the earth came closer, his body horizontal with the rough ground. He cried out in alarm just before he smacked painfully on the forest floor.

He gasped desperately for the air that had left his lungs. He curled in on himself. He was focused entirely on his breathing that he failed to hear Will calling and eventually approaching him.

"Merlin, mate. You alright?" Merlin just wheezed in response. Will placed a hand on his shoulder, not knowing what else to do. Merlin breathed deeply, his lungs joyously filling with air.

"Yeah." He croaked out. "Gimme a minute." His chest was still flaring in pain. He had fallen quite far and landed really hard. "Water?" He asked as his eyes cracked open watching Will. Will fumbled with his belt, pulling off a small container. He shook it and sighed.

"Empty. The river's not that far. I'll fill it up and then take you back to Hunith." Will rose from his position beside his friend. "I'll be right back." He said pointlessly. Merlin was too busy groaning to wave his friend off as he ran through the bushes past his head.

Merlin cautiously opened on eye when he heard rustling coming from the bushes opposite him. Both his blue eyes snapped to open when the prettiest girl he'd ever seen stepped through. She was wearing a blue cloak over a matching dark blue gown. She walked nervously toward him, her green eyes filled with concern.

"I'm dead, aren't I?" Merlin said quietly when she knelt beside him.

"Why would you think that?" She asked, tilting her head to inspect him. Merlin's eyes closed as her gentle voice washed over him.

"Because you're an angel." He whispered, his eyes opening to see her expression. Her pale cheeks filled with a blush as she looked down at her lap, her dark hair, falling over her shoulders.

"Afraid not." She stated, the blush not leaving her cheeks. Merlin thought it made her beautiful.

"Then who are you?" He asked as most of the pain receded. He still felt a sharp pang in his left side but ignored it in favour of hearing her speak.

"I'm Morgana." She said, her eyes finally meeting his with a smile.

"Merlin." He said as he slowly rolled on to his back. He groaned and heard Morgana gasp, he followed her eye line to see a small amount of blood seep into his tunic.

"You're hurt." He looked back at her. Her face was creased with sadness and concern. It amazed him how someone so beautiful was concerned over him.

"It's nothing." He said, trying to wave it off while the pain began to throb to near unbearable proportions. Morgana scoffed at his reply. Merlin jumped when he felt her hands at the hem of his tunic.

"W…what are you doing?" He stuttered his own hands trying to push hers away.

"Let me see. I might help, I have worked with the physician before." Merlin moved his hands away to his sides. She looked down at him like a parent would a child. He tensed as her hands began to slowly inch his tunic up his stomach. She stopped it just half way, for that Merlin was glad. He sucked in a breath when her fingers gently touched his skin.

He heard her do the same, expect for the sight of his thin frame. The wound was small, but it was quiet deep, she noticed. She plucked her handkerchief from her cloak and slowly placed it over the wound. Merlin's eyes watched her face as she moved, her brow creased in concentration.

Her eyes came back to his, "This might hurt." She whispered as she put pressure on the wound. Merlin sucked in a breath through his clenched teeth. Morgana's left hand shot out to rest on his bare abdomen.

"Sorry. I'm sorry." She said, guilt heavy in her voice. She felt Merlin tense under her hand. "Just try and relax. Your friend should be back soon." Her thumb had begun to absentmindedly stroke his pale skin. She watched his face as he laid his head on the forest floor, the expression of pain falling from his face.

He looked peaceful, his eyes shut to the world, as small smile on his face. She glanced down at her hand, watching her thumb move over his skin. She didn't stop it. She looked back at his face as he began to push himself up to rest on his elbows. Her left hand fell from his stomach and rested over her right. She was secretly pleased to see disappointment wash over his face.

"Thanks." He said simply. She glanced down at her hands.

"Any time." Merlin's right hand reached over his body to rest on both of hers.

"How do I repay your kindness?" She blushed at the question. Her few short minutes with the boy had caused her to blush more times than she had in her entire life.

"I don't know. It's not important." Morgana said nervously. Her eyes travelled over his face. There was a leaf in his dishevelled black hair. She reached up and plucked it before letting it drop to the floor. Merlin's hand grabbed hers as he sat up. She froze with her left hand holding the handkerchief to his wound and her right being held in his. He slowly brought her hand up to his lips and placed a gentle kiss upon the back of it.

'Thank you, Morgana." He said, his breath flowing over her hand.

Morgana couldn't control what she did next. Both her hands rose to cup his cheeks and she leant forward and place her lips upon his. She closed her eyes and relaxed when she felt Merlin softly kiss her back. She pulled her lips away and leant her forehead against his, trying to comprehend what she had just done.

"Kissed by an angel." Merlin whispered. She could hear the smile in his voice and opened her eyes. His blue ones were staring back at her; alight with amusement and some other emotion she couldn't put a name one. She giggled and let go of his face, resting back on her knees.

"Now how am I supposed to repay that kindness?" Merlin asked with a smirk. Morgana smacked him playfully on the arm, grinning all the while. Merlin turned his head in the direction of noise, indicating Will's return.

"That kindness doesn't need repaying." Morgana stated as she rose, brushing the leaves and dirt from her gown.

"It does and one day I will repay it." Merlin said as she began to back away to the bushes she had emerged from.

"If we meet again, then you can repay me."

"I'll make sure we do!" Merlin called after her as she vanished in to the bushes, sending him a brilliant smile as she left.

* * *

Morgana strode away from where she had left Merlin, her hand rose to her lips as a giddy smile spread across them. She didn't know why she had kissed, well there were a number of reasons: he was kind, the complete opposite of Arthur; his dark hair hung messily over his adorably large ears; his blue eyes sparkled with something the intrigued her; and his smile could brighten even Uther's day.

She looked over her shoulder at the bushes where she had left Merlin. As she walked back to camp she hoped, prayed, that Merlin would meet her again.

She couldn't wait for him to repay her kindness.

* * *

**AN: At the moment, this is a one-shot. But there will most likely be a sequel to this. When there is I'l post an AN so you guys know.**

**Review, tell me what you think. Do you want more of this? **


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